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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24908869">Spring in November</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustFinster/pseuds/JustFinster'>JustFinster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Beta Wanted, Light Angst, M/M, Unresolved Romantic Tension</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:36:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24908869</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustFinster/pseuds/JustFinster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Moomintroll and Snufkin are struggling to be direct. </p><p>P.S.<br/>Aren't we annoyed with the ending of the season 2 of MV and the 2-year waiting ahead? Frankly? Who else?<br/>Here is my take on the 1st episode of season 3.<br/>I know it's completely off, but that's how I fancy it, and nobody's there to stop me.</p><p>What's your version of the beginning of the season 3? =)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mumintrollet | Moomintroll &amp; Snusmumriken | Snufkin, Mumintrollet | Moomintroll/Snusmumriken | Snufkin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Spring in November</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Snow was everywhere. Its cold and humid blanket covered trees, paths, dead brown leaves on the ground and old dreams. It was suffocating and unwelcoming, a clear message from the nature itself: he has to leave now. There is nothing left for him in this snow. There is nothing to decide or think about – he just needs to go, as he always does. And it's such an easy and natural thing to do... Habitual. Why does he feel hesitant all of a sudden? Why did he come back in November in the first place?..<br/>
The Toft's unexpected hug took him by surprise and made his mind wonder in a strange direction. He was never fond of physical affection (or any affection, for that matter), but his reaction to this tiny spontaneous act of appreciation surprised him. It felt so right to share the hug and experience this connection with the other being. Simply be together and acknowledge each other's presence.<br/>
He loved freedom, yet he denied himself the freedom to express his emotions. How free was he really? Yes, roaming everywhere, not depending on anyone, being detached from possessions – all that was a solid proof of his freedom. Or was it?<br/>
“Moomins are coming!”<br/>
No thought, no reflection. Just an impulse. Pure excitement. Snufkin found himself running as he rarely run (well, maybe on a few occasions when he was caught harvesting someone else's crops).<br/>
And there he was, at the shore, looking intensely in the distance, impatiently screening the vast sea surface for the presence of a tiny boat. The whole world shrank down to that one point on horizon.</p><p>In just a few moments, he could see the boat clearly. It was approaching the shore rapidly, and Snufkin could distinguish the familiar figure of Moomintroll on board. He felt his heart pounding and couldn't help but smile as Moomintroll noticed him on the jetty, and started to wave his hand energetically.<br/>
Now, Snufkin was able to distinguish another familiar person on the boat. Little My was standing on the Adventure's nose and enjoyed the intense motion of the vessel created by the waves.<br/>
Snufkin looked at Toft, and the latter looked back at him, with a wide smile. Shining. With a gesture of reassurance, Snufkin put his hand on Toft's shoulder. Nothing else mattered at this moment. The winter, the long road, sad tunes, cold nights, bad dreams – everything ceased to exist all of a sudden. It was a moment of a pure overwhelming unconditional joy.</p><p>* * *</p><p>Moomintroll was standing at the boat's wheel, correcting its direction with experienced movements. He learned quite a few skills on his journey, and at this point was more than eager to go back home. Without a solid plan or strategy for the future, he felt hopeful and slightly nostalgic.<br/>
“Hey, look who's here!” shouted Little My from the nose of Adventure looking intensely into the distance with her binoculars. She was constantly moving up and down with each wave as if she was riding a giant seesaw, and her playmate was the sea itself. “It's Snufkin! Who could've thought! Oh, my little brother really misses his fluffy friend, eh?”<br/>
She turned to Moomin and noticed a predictable wild sparkle in his eyes. She new all this so well!<br/>
“How's it possible?! Are you sure? It's November, for Groke's sake!” the troll's voice sounded strained, excited and almost hysterical as he was shouting back trying to overcome the wind noise. He made an accidental jerky movement at the wheel, and the boat leaned to one side.<br/>
“Whoa, the nerves! Do you want to impress your friend sinking the ship or what?” shouted Little My with a laugh, more excited from this extra motion than scared.<br/>
“Sorry!” Moomintroll smiled and took the wheel firmly.<br/>
It felt easy to do anything now, even say “sorry” to Little My.<br/>
“It's an early opportunity to put your seahorse training to task!” Little My suddenly began to laugh. “But seriously, Moomintroll! Keep calm, will you? It's your chance!”<br/>
“I know what to do, thank you very much!” firmly said Moomin, looking at the jetty with intense focus.</p><p>* * * </p><p>The boat approached the shore, and Moomintroll started to maneuver the ship closer to the jetty.<br/>
“Hey, Snufkin!” he shouted. “Help me with the rope!”<br/>
“Didn't expect to see you here, bro!” said Little My with a slight chuckle before she jumped off the boat and onto the jetty without waiting for the boat to be properly attached. “Don't tell me you've been waiting here for us all this time! Or, should I say, waiting for...”<br/>
She didn't finish her phrase. Instead, with a mischievous smile, she nodded her head in the direction of Moomintroll who was busy securing the boat in place, seemingly oblivious to Little My's words.<br/>
Snufkin caught the end of the rope and helped attach the boat.<br/>
“Nope. I'm here by pure chance. Actually, I'm leaving soon,” blurted out the Mumrik. As he said it, the winter, the long road, sad tunes, cold nights and bad dreams rushed back to their rightful place in his mind.<br/>
Moomintroll jumped off the boat, slid a bit on the slippery surface of the jetty, but quickly found his balance.<br/>
He approached Snufkin and Toft with a confident smile.<br/>
“Snufkin, I hope you can stay tonight at least.”<br/>
The way it sounded was... different from what the Mumrik expected. Moomin said it so calmly and matter-of-factly, without the usual neediness and subtle sighs, almost as if he was simply being polite. It was strange to admit, but Snufkin had to shrug off a mildly unpleasant feeling of almost wanting Moomintroll to plead him to stay a bit longer. Or to offer a welcome hug, maybe?.. Sure, the Mumrik would most probably decline it, but being offered one was always nice.<br/>
“I sure can. Where have you been?” Snufkin couldn't help but ask this burning question.<br/>
“I'll tell you later.”<br/>
This sounded almost condescending! Snufkin felt intrigued and slightly annoyed.<br/>
Moomin turned to Toft and greeted him warmly.<br/>
“Hi, little guy! What is your name?”<br/>
“I'm Toft. I'm so happy to see you finally! I've been dreaming about the happy Moomin family for months!”<br/>
“I'm afraid the happy family is still on its way back home,” said Moomintroll. “But you are more than welcome to join us, if you wish!”<br/>
Toft didn't say anything, he just nodded and smiled at Moomin with admiration.<br/>
“Let's go already! I'm starving!” shouted Little My impatiently, and she skillfully threw a snowball at Moomintroll. “Or do you want to stay here all day talking nonsense?”<br/>
The Troll brushed off the snow from his forearm nonchalantly. With a smile, he offered his paw to Toft, and the latter accepted it gratefully.<br/>
“Please don't mind her. Little My is a little catastrophe, but you'll learn to appreciate her soon enough! Right, Snufkin? Let's go home!”</p><p>* * *</p><p>They entered the empty house and filled it with movement and life, as if spring came to the Valley in the middle of November.<br/>
Moomintroll brought two boxes of food supplies from the boat, and they indulged in canned fruits, pickles,  smoked fish and crackers. They were drinking coffee and sharing their stories, and it was one of those evenings when you just want to shout out to someone-up-there-who-manages-this-all: “Time, freeze! I want this moment to last forever!” </p><p>“... and then, we got so much fish that we didn't know where to store it anymore!” chuckled Moomintroll, fixing himself another improvised smoked fish sandwich with a plain cracker.<br/>
“Weren't you afraid to be on this deserted island, isolated  like this?” asked Toft with obvious admiration.<br/>
“It wasn't deserted! We had that crazy dude for a company!” replied Little My, meticulously trying to scratch off the last bits of strawberry jam from the jar. “And I sure had fun talking to him. Crazy people tell things others are afraid to articulate, you know!” she added, pointing with a spoon at Toft.<br/>
With a firm gesture, she put the empty jar on the table and threw her spoon inside it.<br/>
“It sounds like you found a soulmate, Little My!” said Snufkin with a tired smile.<br/>
He didn't feel like talking much, although he truly enjoyed listening to Moomin's musings about his exploits.<br/>
At the same time, there was something impalpable and almost disturbing in the Troll's demeanor. Since the moment they met, he was so reserved, self-confident and almost... cold? Snufkin could not really name the feeling that was consuming him all day, but his anxiousness definitely grew stronger over the past few hours.<br/>
“So, what did you like the most about this adventure?” asked Toft curiously.<br/>
“Well... We met some unusual dwellers there...” Moomintroll seemed perplexed for a moment, and Snufkin noticed that he blushed ever so slightly, and his ears twitched once in a very peculiar way. What would that mean?..<br/>
“Argh! Don't you start with those seahorses again! You don't want to talk about them here, do you?” Little My's eyes widened slightly.<br/>
“Yeah... Let's say: I really appreciated the unique nature of that place! It's nothing like the Valley, but it has its own charm.” Moomin looked down for a moment, then quickly added: “I think we all need to rest. We had a very long day!”<br/>
“You're right. I'll go put up my tent then. Thanks for the lovely diner,” said Snufkin softly, but firmly, stood up and made a few quick steps to the door. He suddenly started to feel suffocating, and the familiar burning desire to escape kept pushing him out of this closed space.<br/>
“No way, Snufkin! You must be kidding me. It's so dark and cold outside. Stay in the house!” passionately said Moomintroll, jumping from his place, seemingly ready to run to his friend and hold him back from leaving. Snufkin froze for a moment with a indecisive expression. Little My looked at Moomin with clear disapproval, and the latter quickly added in a neutral tone: “Of course, I understand, you need your space. Would you like to sleep in the guest room? Toft can stay in my room, and we'll go to the master bedroom, right, Little My? How's that?”<br/>
“I want to take the guest room, <i>remember</i>? We discussed it already!” said Little My authoritatively. “I've had enough sleeping with you in the same room, to be honest. You wake me up all the time with your talking and sighs!”<br/>
“I can stay with you in the master bedroom,” said Snufkin quickly, and felt dizzy all of a sudden. How come he just said this? As if this phrase said itself. Bad idea. But what's bad about it? There is absolutely nothing strange or abnormal in this accommodation.<br/>
“All right,” simply said Moomintroll, as if he was talking about the most mundane thing, like whether he'd like tea of coffee for breakfast.<br/>
And what's not ordinary about it? Snufkin couldn't pinpoint why this simple arrangement suddenly had so much meaning for him. </p><p>* * *</p><p>Some time later, when all the necessary tasks were completed, beds prepared and jokes said and laughed at, everyone went to their assigned places to sleep. The house became silent and still again. One could hear the wind outside, and this soothing sound made it so easy and enjoyable to appreciate the coziness and warmth of the Moominhouse.<br/>
Snufkin decided to check on Toft. He felt compelled to simply wish him goodnight and see how he is doing.<br/>
When he entered the room, Toft was already in bed, staring at the ceiling.<br/>
“How are you?” asked Snufkin, peeking from behind the door.<br/>
“Moomintroll is great, isn't he?” Toft turned his head to the Mumrik.<br/>
“Yes, he is... I'm glad you met him!”</p><p>* * *</p><p>Here is the door to the main bedroom. Snufkin felt a bit nervous and some other emotion that he didn't necessarily know a word for. He carefully opened the door trying to make as little noise as possible, and silently sneaked in.<br/>
He was prepared to enter the dark room, but to his surprise, it was lit with the bright moonlight pouring in from the window. He saw Moomintroll lying on his bed, eyes closed. Asleep?<br/>
Near the bed, he found a mattress with a pillow and a blanket on the floor. Moomin knew how Snufkin disliked beds, so he prepared a special sleeping space for his friend.<br/>
The Mumrik took off his dress carefully and, barely breathing, slid his body under the blanket. Enveloped in this softness and silence, he felt much more relaxed and allowed himself to take a nice deep breath.<br/>
He looked at Moomin and his relaxed and cozy pose. His tail hung from the bed, and Snufkin stared at it, mesmerized. It slightly twitched once, instantly giving him a funny irrational desire to touch its fluffy brush; to stroke Moomintroll's fur and experience its softness and warmth...<br/>
<i>Time to sleep.</i><br/>
He closed his eyes and silently took another deep breath in.<br/>
“Snufkin?” whispered Moomintroll softly, and his voice sounded anything but sleepy.<br/>
“Pretending sleeping, aren't we?” asked Snufkin with a smirk, hoping that the other will not hear his loud heart beat in the silence of the night.<br/>
“I want to talk to you about something,” said Moomin slowly and intentionally.<br/>
<i>Here it goes...</i><br/>
“Hmm?”<br/>
“I met someone on the island...”<br/>
“A seahorse?” asked Snufkin playfully. He remembered the Troll's strange reaction to Little My's remark after diner, and couldn't help but tease him.<br/>
“Well, no... I mean, yeah, there was a seahorse, but I wanted to talk about the Groke, actually” murmured Moomin seriously.<br/>
“What is about her?”<br/>
“I think I understood something while I was there, on the island,” Moomintroll moved closer to the edge of the bed, looking in turns at Snufkin and at the ceiling. “Groke is very much like I was, you see. She's pursuing the light frantically, but what happens when she reaches it?”<br/>
“The light's gone.”<br/>
“Exactly!..”<br/>
For a few minutes, Moomin didn't say a word.<br/>
“So, what does it have to do with you?” whispered Snufkin. He had no intention to leave this open.<br/>
Moomintroll sighed and quickly sat on the edge of his bed. Snufkin could see his eyes reflecting the moonlight.<br/>
“I know I was probably suffocating you with my attention. I'd like to apologize!” quietly and seriously said the Troll.<br/>
“Don't mention it. I managed to survive,” chuckled Snufkin, pulling his blanket higher to cover himself fully despite the fact that he was feeling quite hot.<br/>
“Goodnight,” softly said Moomintroll, and lied on his bed again, eyes closed.<br/>
<i>That's it?.. End of conversation?</i><br/>
Snufkin decided to wait. What would happen next? After a few minutes which felt more like hours, he went though a curious range of emotions that he didn't expect to bubble up. Curiosity? Annoyance? Fear? Resentment? One thing he knew for sure: sleep was out of question right now.<br/>
Moomintroll, on the other hand, looked so peaceful, so relaxed. Drifting.<br/>
<i>He is so close.</i><br/>
Snufkin mindlessly stretched his arm and lightly touched Moomintroll's shoulder. Soft sensation under his fingertips amused him – it felt just like down: light, warm, tickling.<br/>
The next thing he knew was Moomintroll's other paw landing on his hand and pressing it gently, but firmly to the silky fur. Surprised, Snufkin froze for a moment.<br/>
“You didn't say your part,” said Moomin, with eyes closed, then he looked directly into Snufkin's eyes and asked: “Why did you return in November?”<br/>
His hand somewhat imprisoned, Snufkin tried to string words together, but they just couldn't fit properly.<br/>
“I was... Just... Nearby!” murmured the Mumrik and lazily pulled his hand back. He got up promptly and went to the window. “Do you mind if I open it for a moment?”<br/>
“Go ahead.”<br/>
A gust of cold and moist air entered the room and shuffled some papers on the table.<br/>
“I wanted to visit the Valley before leaving for the winter,” said Snufkin, looking outside.<br/>
“You <i>love</i> the Valley, don't you?”<br/>
“I like it here.” </p><p>Moomintroll started to softly hum a melody, tail slightly bouncing on the bed.<br/>
Snufkin's face was lit with the moonlight. He looked at Moomin with a smile, surprised.<br/>
“What's that tune?” he asked curiously.<br/>
“That's my very own spring tune. Care to listen?”<br/>
“Isn't it too early for this? Of course I do!”</p><p>And Moomintroll started to sing – very softly, almost whispering in the beginning, then his voice grew stronger all the while keeping his performance very intimate and discrete. </p><p>
  <i>“If you choose to leave<br/>
You'll never know how I feel...”</i>
</p><p>Moomintroll slowly got up from the bed, as if he was afraid that Snufkin could climb out of the window any second now.<br/>
He sang a bit louder as he approached his friend:</p><p>
  <i>“But if you choose to stay<br/>
Like the ocean in an open shell, you'll hear all<br/>
My heart has to say...”</i>
</p><p>He opened his arms as if inviting Snufkin to come closer and listen to what his heart had to say. After a slight hesitation, the latter accepted. Moomintroll gently wrapped his arms around his friend, and Snufkin's hands slid mindfully on the soft fur to meet one another behind the Troll's back.<br/>
They were standing there, in the moonlight, slightly rocking with the rhythm of the song. Snufkin pressed his cheek to the Moomin's chest, and the Troll put his head on his friend's shoulder as he continued to softly sing his song.</p><p>
  <i>“Drift, drift along with me<br/>
Through uncharted seas<br/>
Never lost while we're together<br/>
Drift in a billion stars<br/>
The universe is all ours<br/>
With open hearts we can drift forever...”</i>
</p><p>Snufkin felt a weird weakness in his knees and was glad that he had his arms wrapped around Moomin for support. It was a moment filled with sensations – sensations that pushed away all thoughts completely. He felt the tender fur brushing under his cheek, the Troll's warmth, his rhythmic breathing, the vibration and the sound of his voice. The words lulled him into a state he never experienced before. There was nothing in this moment beyond this hug. The outside world ceased to exist.</p><p>With another wind gust from the windows, the papers flew off the table and got scattered on the floor. </p><p>“I came to see <i>you</i> before leaving for winter,” whispered Snufkin.<br/>
“I'm happy you did.” </p><p>They slowly separated, and Snufkin took Moomintroll's paws in his hands.<br/>
“Tomorrow is miles away... Let's go enjoy this beautiful spring in November!”<br/>
He rushed to his clothes and put on the rest of them quickly. “Come on!”<br/>
Snufkin grab Moomin's paw and pulled him to the window. With a mischievous smile, Moomintroll followed suit. </p><p>They used the ladder to go down. Everything looked magical in the silver moonlight. The sky boasted millions of stars, and occasional snow reflected their light. Hand in hand, they walked wherever their feet would carry them.<br/>
Tomorrow was miles away.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading!! </p><p>Please leave a comment - it's so awesome to read them!</p><p>Sorry about occasional weirdness of the language.</p><p>I called Toft, well, Toft for Amber. Since you prefer it =)<br/>I call Snufkin's upper extremities "hands" just to make things easy for myself.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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